The Ace Children’s Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement The provider is developing the current curriculum to provide children with more consistency in their learning. Staff focus on supporting children's communication and language development and do so well.

For example, staff read to children and introduce them to new words. During activities, staff explain ideas to children and ask them questions that encourage them to think and respond. This is especially beneficial for children who speak English as an additional language, who quickly begin to use English fluently.

Overall, staff support children's learning well. They recognise when children's progress does meet expectation...s and take action to focus their support on these areas. This helps to close any gaps in their development.

All children make steady progress at the setting. However, there are weaknesses in the arrangement to ensure that staff have a secure knowledge of all policies, including aspects of the behaviour management policy. Despite this, staff support children effectively to enjoy their time spent at the setting and supervise them closely.

Children learn to behave well, and staff intervene when needed to give children gentle guidance and to help them to learn about the feelings of others. Staff successfully encourage all children to get along. Children play together well, and staff understand the benefits of older children playing alongside younger ones as they learn from each other.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

All staff recognise signs that children might be at risk of harm and take swift action to refer any concerns to safeguarding partners. There are robust procedures for checking staff's suitability to work with children, and staff receive regular training to support their safeguarding knowledge. Therefore, overall, the provider demonstrates a suitable capacity to safeguard children.

A lack of clarity of understanding around the arrangements for managing allegations against staff was suitably addressed during the inspection.Although, generally, staff encourage children to behave well, they are not provided with sufficient guidance about using physical restraint, for example, to prevent children from harming themselves and others. The provider does not ensure that records are kept of any such instances where staff need to physically move and handle children.

They do not ensure that parents are informed of any such instances. This is a breach in requirements.There is a good focus on developing children's early literacy skills.

Stories and books are integral to children's learning. Staff engage children in lively, animated story times. Stories provide inspirations for other activities, such as when children play with dough.

Staff create family books. Children enjoy looking at the photos of their families and that of others as they begin to understand about differences between themselves and others.Leaders and managers are in process of developing a new early years curriculum across the provision.

This is because staff do not consistently implement the current curriculum as well as possible. Despite this, children enjoy activities, and staff track the progress children make effectively.Staff know their local community well and actively encourage children's attendance at the setting.

The provider offers flexible care to help meet the needs of local families. Staff engage with families well, and relationships with parents are strong. Staff share information with parents about children's progress effectively but do not share as much information about the curriculum.

Therefore, parents are less aware of how they can complement children's learning at home.Staff gather information from parents to help children to settle in at the setting. This is particularly detailed for babies.

Staff have extensive information about children's home routines, comfort items and the ways they like to play. Children form close relationships with the staff who care for them. Staff are attentive, kind and caring, and this contributes towards children feeling safe and secure at the setting.

Staff encourage children to learn about being healthy. At mealtimes, staff talk with children about healthy eating and looking after their teeth. Staff promote children's independence.

Children enjoy outdoor play where staff praise them as they climb, balance and slide on equipment as they strengthen their muscles and increase their physical skills. These activities contribute towards children being fit, active and learning about how to look after their bodies.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date implement clear guidance for staff about when physical intervention might be needed and ensure that records of any such incidents are shared with parents as soon as practically possible.28/02/2025 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop the new curriculum and support staff to implement it consistently across the provision nenhance support for parents to better understand the curriculum that children follow to enable them to support children's learning at home.

Also at this postcode